Low-cost PROFIBUS DP Slave Shield for embedded controllers

The presented PROFIBUS DP Slave Shield creates a link between a PROFIBUS DP network and a microcontroller or embedded controller. The hardware can be used as an extension module for different embedded controllers with sufficiently fast IO. The system opens possibilities to connect virtual systems or Hardware-In-the-Loop systems running real-time MATLAB models to a PROFIBUS DP network running up to 12 Mbps. Measurement of signal timing and latency shows that the shield itself does not introduce significant latency.